The Old Stall Famous Hokkien St Prawn Noodles: Is this really the Original Stall?

The owner of this stall claims that they can trace their lineage all the way back to the old Hokkien street around 50 years ago. Back then, prawn noodles were very different in that the gravy was very dark. He claims that it was his mother who first invented the light colored prawn soup which is the common garden variety nowadays. Since they have been around for so long, they have built a very faithful following especially amongst the older folks. Apparently, the stall is frequented by MPs and other VIPs as well, who go there because of its original taste.

So with all that historical backdrop, the strong recommendation by Damien, plus the bold statement on their signboard stating "Specially Make Delicious Soup", I primed my tastebuds for an adventure of a lifetime.

The soup was good but I guess I had expected much more. It did have that prawn soup kick but just did not hit the threshold for "Shiok!!". 4.25/5

The thing that really did have the Oooomph factor though, was the specially prepared chilli powder. One whiff of the powder and you know that it is something special. Unlike a lot of other stalls which simply give you plain chilli powder. This stall fries their chilli powder with dried prawns (Hae Bee). The taste is very distinctive. It is so good that he even sells the chilli powder for those who need to get their satisfaction at home.



Conclusion

Is this really a direct descendant of the originator of our present day Prawn Noodle? Perhaps our more seasoned readers can shed some light the history of Prawn Noodles? And by the way, is Prawn Noodles only found in Singapore or do they also have this dish in Malaysia?

The Old Stall Hokien St Famous Hokkien Mee
Hong Lim Complex
531A Upper Cross Street #02-68
9am to 5pm
Thursdays Closed
Michael Tan 98539630

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Les Amis: The Anniversary Dinner

With Amagada

Chilled Alaskan crab leg and avocado ball

Ah, it's that time of the year again where the missus and I celebrate our "Going Out" Anniversary. Time really flies! This would be our 21st Anniversary already. Now those who are beginning their journey together in life might be wondering what advise I would offer for those just starting out. With due respect to those couples who might be saying "Aiyah, 21 years only, wait till you celebrate your fiftieth year lah!", I would share this tip which I learnt from Pastor Prince recently. And this is the secret: Never forget your wife's birthday and your wedding anniversary. Good advise indeed. We men sometimes forget that women tend to treat dates and special occasions with much more significance than we do.

And since we are on the topic about the difference between men and women, I would like to throw another spanner in the works by bringing up another point. With my limited experience in dealing with the opposite sex (I only ever had one girlfriend), I observe that there are 3 things (in general) women love that men can't really understand: 1. Diamonds 2. Flowers and 3. Chocolates.

Seriously, I really don't understand why a small rock would cause so much delight in women. That a small rock can set you back a few sets of Golf gear or a good Hi Fi system! The way I see it, $5000 can buy you quite a few bits of technology like an Xbox, a great big LCD screen and one of those new space age OTO chairs that vibrate and explodes into surround sound when you crash your virtual Nascar into a tree.... OR..... it could buy you a small little rock which sparkles.

Well, there is a Medical reason that might explain it. The ability to see the colours Red and Green reside on the X Chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes while men only have one. Sometimes the genes on the X chromosome may be faulty and since men only have a single X chromosome, they are unable to perceive the colours Red and Green. Women are protected because if one X chromosome is faulty, they have another one which most probably will be normal. Research has shown that because women have two X chromosome, some women can actually see a wider spectrum of colours! So, for some women, instead of seeing just seven colours of a rainbow, they can actually perceive 10 colours. That might explain why women value a diamond much more than men! It also explains why I always have to ask my wife whether my clothes match.


Seared Turbot with 'Petit Marmite' of fennel and tomato

I think both sexes can agree on one thing. When it comes to celebrating Special Occasions, it is worth spending money in a fancy restaurant. This year, I was fortunate enough to win a dinner for two at Les Amis Restaurant at the Food Bloggers Dinner! What a blessing!

Les Amis has just reopened after having undergone a $2.5 million renovation. I guess this is peanuts considering that their two wine cellars alone house wines to the value of $3 million. Paintings from famous Chinese artists line the walls and their private rooms are adorn with antique furniture. Yes, this IS the sort of place to "Wow" that very special person. I guess all these finer touches befit a restaurant which has been voted "World's Top 100 Restaurants" by Restaurant magazine. So guys, when you need to organize that very special occasion where you just cannot take "No" for an answer, you know where you can go yeah?


Roasted pigeon served with fried "Schupfnudeln", sauteed romain lettuce and chanterelle mushroom

But I guess lots of people already know this, which was why there were so many couples celebrating anniversaries that night. The service is impeccable and the menu is impressive. We we offered the set dinner that night, which was great since we that would mean we get to try some different stuff which we would not have otherwise ordered for ourselves.

I think that Fine Dining is all about the novelty of eating stuff that is not readily available. So that night we dined on delicacies like Live Alaskan King Crab legs, Wild Mediterranean Turbot and French Pigeons. All great stuff but even better when enjoyed with great company. Just imagine if you had all this stuff to eat by yourself. It would be like hitting a hole in one with no one to witness it.

We especially enjoyed the Alaskan King Crab legs which were really sweet and fresh which was a great contrast to the creamy avocado and tangy shellfish dressing. The Grand Marnier Parfait was another dish that left a lasting impression and a definite must try. I would have preferred if the Turbot was served with a creamy sauce rather then a consommé. The pigeon was specially smoked so that it was not too gamey which suits our local palate as we are not used to meat that is too strong.


Grand Marnier parfait in a chocolate cone served with citrus fruit salad

Conclusion

We had a wonderful dinner that we will fondly remember for a long time. Many thanks to Les Amis for sponsoring the lucky draw tickets and Joone from Nibble and Scribble who organized the Flogger's dinner!

Les Amis
1 Scotts Road
#02-16 Shaw Centre
67332225
Closed on Sundays

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Today's recommendation is Brown Sugar's Wagyu Burger with Foie Gras!

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Thien Kee Steamboat: A Place to hold your Hainanese Clan Dinner?

With the ieatFamily

Hainanese Steamboat set $32

Singapore's Chinese population is made up of 41% Hokkien, 21% Teochew, 15% Cantonese and a mere 5% Hainanese. But when it comes to food, the Hainanese are right up there with their hugely popular Chicken Rice and of course, Singapore's favourite brew, the good old Kopi and Kaya Toast.

Sadly the number of truly authentic Hainanese Restaurants are diminishing and even if they are still around, the food seems to have lost its original taste. Fortunately, there are still places like Thien Kee which are still run by a group of Hainanese men who are still trying to maintain the old Hainanese tradition. I can't personally vouch for the authenticity of the food here, since I have not been around for long enough, but the fact that 80% of the clientèle here are Hainanese should be a good indicator of its authenticity. Plus, I have a Hainanese mother-in-law (HM-i-L) who can also lend some weight to the review.

First up is the Hainanese Steamboat. Everyone enjoyed the fresh ingredients and the tender slices of beef, but frankly I am quite ignorant of what makes a "Hainanese" Steamboat Hainanese. Looks like any other steamboat to me. Basically, served with chicken stock and the usual raw ingredients. Perhaps some of our readers can enlighten us on this? 4/5


Pork Chops $15

The pork chops here are thickly sliced and are really tender and juicy. The portions are generous and it still comes with the traditional canned peas. It is missing the thick cut potato chips though. I felt the pork chops could still do with a bit more ooomph. But still one of the better ones around. 4/5

In trying to be everything Hainanese, this stall also sells Pork Satay. Though the satay is outsourced, it is made to the restaurant's specifications. It was good but not outstanding especially compared to a the one I blogged about recently. 3.75/5



What was outstanding though was the chicken rice. According to my HM-i-L the rice here is fragrant and very authentic. When I asked her what makes it authentic, she said that the rice was broken and tasted like they actually dry fry the rice before steaming it with chicken stock. The texture was a little grainy but very fragrant. True enough, the owner of the stall confirmed that he still insists on frying the rice first before steaming. The chicken was tender with much of the flavour came from the soy sauce that was drizzled over the meat. It was interesting to see the way they tie the chicken with raffia string so they can pull it up when after cooking. 4.25/5



One cannot leave a Hainanese Restaurant without finishing off with some Hainanese kopi right? Both ieatMama and HM-i-L are kopi lovers and both gave their thumbs up for the kopi here. Fragrant, smooth, non-acidic with lots of body. Gulp -- Smack -- Ahhhh! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Good place of an inexpensive family lunch. The parking is very convenient and the restaurant is comfortable. Food wise, not any single item to really rave about, but overall, it was a satisfying and enjoyable meal.

Golden Mile Thien Kee Steamboat
B1-20 Beach Road Golden Mile Tower
62985891/62935910

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La Pizzaiola: Authentic Italian Pizza at HDB prices!

With iwatch_ueat and Damien

Quattro Formaggio $13.90 for a 12 inch pizza

Don't you think it is a little redundant to label a pizza as "Italian" pizza? Of course, pizza is Italian what, ah boh then?

But the fact is that the pizza has evolved into something quite different from its original form such that there is a big difference between "Italian" pizza and American style "Pizza Hut" pizzas. For me, when someone says "Italian" pizza, I think about a thin crust pizza that is baked in a wood fired oven with a good tomato sauce and lots of chewy mozzarella cheese.

Although I love pizza, I have been on a pizza lull for a while. So this is my very first pizza post. Damien alerted me to this "Authentic Italian Pizza at HDB prices" pizza which I thought was very interesting. And what can be more authentic then having a real Italian Chef making the pizzas? Ah, yet another "Ang Moh in the HDB heartlands" story!


Rucola Parma $18.90 for 12 inch

Loris and Jennifer met Singapore, got married and ran off to open a restaurant in Tuscany before returning to Singapore again. During her stay in Italy, Jennifer fell in love with the Italian pizza so when they returned to Singapore, she had this irresistible urge to share her passion for real Italian pizza with the Singaporean Heartlanders.

They use the thin and crispy pizza base here, but it is not so thin like it's a "water cracker". You still get a 1 cm thick layer of bread in the middle, but it is thin and crispy around the rim which I am told is how they do it in Naples. I found the tomato based sauce a little on the tangy side but both my makankakis said they like it that way. The cheese could have been more chewy, but at $13.90 for a whole pizza, I guess I should not complain too much.

We liked the Quattro Formaggi which is made up of parmesan, blue, mozzarella and emmental cheeses. 4.25/5

The Rucola Parma was nice and having the salad on top of the pizza is very refreshing as you get the contrast between the crisp leaves with the heavier pizza base. 4/5



For those who enjoy Garfield's favourite food, the lasagna here is pretty commendable. It's also probably the cheapest Lasagna you can get anywhere. For $6 you get a good portion of Lasagna which is made with fresh sheets of pasta. Jennifer has modified the lasagna a little to suit the local taste, so the tangy edge has been blunted with the addition of a bit of sugar. Suits me fine. 4/5

Conclusion

Where can you get your Italian style pizza fix, real cheap and on the go? Well, now you know.

Update: 18 Jul 2008

La Pizzaiola as been closed. The couple are now operating Pietrasantra at Portsdown road.

La Pizzaiola
43 Holland Drive #01-63
67795502 10am to 10pm
Closed every Tuesday
www.lapizzaiola.com.sg
Recommended by Damien

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Hilmi Sarabat Stall: Ah The President's Teh Tarik... At last!

Do you still remember my last post on our President's Teh Tarik? Well, I thought I would never have a chance to drink of the Presidential Brew since the "Michael Bolton" and I both share the same working shifts.

But yesterday was my lucky day! I happened to be down at Marine Parade Food Centre and lo and behold, the President's Teh Tarik Man was on duty! It so happened that the other Teh Tarik man had returned to Indonesia for the Hari Raya Holidays, so he was working an extended shift.

The "Michael Bolton" was telling us that since the last post, he has had many new customers coming by asking for the President's Teh Tarik as well as questions like whether the President really came by in his shorts, T shirt and flip-flops on Sunday mornings to buy his Teh Tarik. Alamak, those readers who really asked this question, please own up. I already told you that that would have been a breach of Presidential protocol! Once you become a President, you must never be seen in flip-flops.

Anyway, I was just over the moon that "Michael" (I still don't know his real name) was on duty that day. This time round, I did not need to haggle, all I needed to do was to order the President's Teh Halia Tarik and it was delivered to my table.

Maybe its just psychological, but the brew was indeed befitting of royalty. Full bodied and fragrant with an excellent post-gustatory ginger punch. It really put the tiger in the tank. So good, I had to order a second cup. 4.6/5

Conclusion

Our President really knows his Teh Tarik!

Hilmi Sarabat Stall
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-146
5.30am to 11pm
Presidential Teh Tarik only available up till 12.30pm normally, but this month up to 3pm

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Lau Pa Sat Fishball Minced Meat Noodle: Go Go Bak Chor Mee

With smart, liverpool, bashfulhunter, iwatch_ueat, damien and PowerAunty


I am amazed to see just how popular Bak Chor Mee is amongst Singaporeans! Our current "Favourite Hawker Dish" poll shows a very close fight between Bak Chor Mee and Chicken Rice for 2nd and 3rd positions. At this stage, Hokkien Mee seems to be the firm favourite unless a whole clan of Chicken Rice lovers who have not yet voted suddenly decide log on and vote.

Anyway, my favourite hawker dishes where Hokkien Mee, Satay and Char Siew. Bak Chor Mee would have ranked around seventh or eight place. I guess it is because I generally don't add chilli to any of my dishes, and with a lot of Bak Chor Mee stalls, it is the chilli that makes the difference. So I guess that's why I would choose other dishes over Bak Chor Mee on most days.

But three of my makankakis that day insisted that this stall's Bak Chor Mee should be included into this blog so here it is. According to Damien, this Bak Chor Mee is second only to the Tai Hwa Bak Chor Mee. Smart and Bashful Hunter both said that it was really good and the chilli was especially shiok. I tried a bowl of the non-chilli version and agree that it was a good bowl of Bak Chor Mee as far as Bak Chor Mee goes. 4.25/5

Conclusion

Another place to get your Bak Chor Mee fix when you are around the Toa Payoh area.

Lau Pa Sat Fishball Minced Meat Noodle
Blk 22 Toa Payoh Lor 7 #01-02
8am to 2pm
Closed Monday
97387141

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Today's recommendation is Geylang (Hamid's) Briyani Stall! Click HERE to read the post.

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Recommended Vaccinations for the Elderly

There are vaccinations that are recommended for the elderly which are useful for preventing severe illnesses. To find out more click here

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Whitley Big Prawn Noodle: Remember the Hawker Centre under the flyover?

Do you all still remember the hawker centre that used to be below the Whitley Road Flyover? I used to live near there 20 years ago during my NS days and it used to be my usual haunt to get great hawker food. My wife (my girlfriend then) never ceases to remind me of one particular eating spree where I went amok after having just recovered from my wisdom tooth extraction. I was on soft diet for a week and when they finally removed the stitches, all hell broke loose.

I don't actually remember any particular stalls there. All I remember was that there was a lot of good food. Pity that they had to relocate. I guess eating under a flyover is hardly very sanitary with all that exhaust smoke and soot.

This is one of the stalls that traces its roots from the old Whitley flyover Hawker centre and it is one of those Prawn Noodle stalls that often make it to top ten list of prawn mees in Singapore, so I am sure there are many fans. This is a good bowl of prawn mee but the soup that day lacked ooomph. 4/5

Conclusion

I heard they have another stall over at Novena. I wonder if both are of the same standards?

Whitley Road Big Prawn Mee
Blk 51 Old Airport Rd Hawker Centre
#01-98
Tues-Fri 9am to 8pm
Sat-Sun 9am to 9pm
Mon closed except Public Holiday

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Chuan Kee Satay: Authentic Hainanese Pork Satay!

After over a year of blogging, I must admit that I am getting a little spoilt. It is getting harder and harder to find dishes that really make me go "Phwa Say!!" I guess the threshold to delight keeps getting higher and higher because once you have tested the best, the rest just don't thrill anymore.

Fortunately, there are still many gems out there just waiting to be found. And finding this satay was a "Holy Grail" experience after quite a long lull period.



The elderly couple manning this stall told me that they have been dishing out their satay for almost 50 years. The uncle started out by helping his father sell satay when he was just 5 years old along the streets of Geylang. Back then, satays were 5 cents per stick and they were not as popular as they are now.

This is traditional Hainanese style satay which means Pork Satay served with a peanut gravy that comes with a pineapple slush. The flowery bouquet from the freshly grilled skewers was too much of an unbearable tease and the first bite of the satay was like getting infatuated all over again. The meat is really tender and coated with spicy golden syrup that hinted strongly of lemongrass and coriander. Fantastic. 4.75/5



I remembered as a kid, pork satay used to come in 5 sections. Meat, fat, meat, fat, meat. This one only had 3 sections. Meat, fat, meat. I thought it might be because they cut down on the fat because of health concerns, but the uncle told me that this is the "pattern" that they have kept for as long as he can remember. Ok, the fat makes the satay really juicy and delicious but do remember to always eat in moderation ok?

Conclusion

Heavenly pork satay. I must admit that I have not eaten such tasty Pork Satay, at least not for a very long time. Now before I get carried away, I must warn you that the waiting time on the weekend is around 45 minutes and while I was queuing, a young lady was bitterly complaining that the chicken satay she just had was not worth the wait. OK, so I am only vouching for the Pork Satay not the chicken. My advice is to head straight for the stall, order your satay and go eat other stuff while you wait. And make sure you order more than enough. It was so good, I came back to reorder some more and that meant more waiting!

Chuan Kee Satay
Old Airport Road Food Centre
#01-85
6pm until sold out around 10pm
Closed Mon and Thurs
Sunday opened at 1pm

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Rojak: Freshly Fried You Tiao Rojak!

With iwatch_ueat and SCS Butter


Imagine freshly fried You Char Kway made into rojak! That would be something wouldn't it? It would be especially special for those of us who really enjoy just You Char Kway rojak without all the other vegetables and fruits. When smart alerted me to this particular stall in Macpherson, I simply had to find out if freshly fried You Char Kway is better than toasted You Char Kway when it is tossed into rojak.



This is a sleepy little stall in a sleepy part of Singapore especially in the afternoons. So the lady needed to fire up the oil in order to make some You Char Kway for us. Amazingly the You Char Kway is still 30 cents each here and a plate of rojak just $2.

The You Char Kway was super crispy and warm but unfortunately the Prawn Paste and Ground Peanuts were not quite up to expectations. A good plate of rojak which really could have been great. 3.75/5

Conclusion

Try it for the novelty of having freshly fried You Char Kway rojak that is really cheap. However, I am still undecided if freshly fried You Char Kway really makes a better rojak than toasted You Char Kway. The only way to find out is to find another stall somewhere that does the same thing but with a sauce with more kick!

Rojak
Circuit Road Blk 79A Food Centre
#01-522
11am to 12mn
Closed Wed and Thursday

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Megumi Japanese Restaurant: Hokubee Sukiyaki!

With SCS Butter and the ieatFamily

Matsu Sashimi: $40

My kids love Japanese Food. It's always a fight between Japanese Food and MacDonald's every time we ask them what they want to eat. And between Jap Food and MacDonald's, my choice is quite straightforward.

I guess the thing with Japanese food is that the flavours are quite simple and the kids can use their hands to eat stuff like sushi. Then there is the Tempura dishes which always appeals to the kids. When it comes to Sashimi, I am always amazed at how my five year old daughter loves it so much and yet my son would not touch it. Guess she's more like mom.

This being the case, the family is always in search of affordable, family style, casual Japanese restaurants to eat at. I am happy to report that Megumi is yet another of such restaurants to add to the list.


Beef Sukiyaki $17.80

Let me just highlight a few of their more distinctive dishes. The first one that I would say is pretty special is their Sukiyaki/Shabu Shabu which costs $17.80. It is served with a good portion of Hokubee Beef.

For the uninitiated, Hokubee Beef is beef that is "manufactured" to resemble Kobe Beef. The product itself is called "Meltique" beef and what happens is that they inject a mixture of Canola oil and starch into the normal, otherwise lean beef in order to give it more marbling. When your first look at the picture, you'd be amazed at how the marbling actually looks!

Tastewise, the Hokubee cannot match that of Wagyu. But the texture of the beef is very good and it has that tender "melt in your mouth" quality about it. Healthwise, I guess I can only postulate since there are no research papers that I know of that says that Hokubee Beef is better for you than normal beef. We know that Canola oil is one of those monounsaturated oils that actually lowers your bad cholesterol levels. So, theoretically, it should be better for you than well marbled USDA beef. But don't quote me on that yeah?

Anyway, the sukiyaki soup stock here is pretty good and we really enjoyed the tender beef slices. Of course you cannot compare with having A5 black hair Beef, but it is probably one of the best value Shabu Shabu deals I have come across. 4/5


Hokubee Teppanyaki $16.80

Actually, I feel that for the price, Hokubee Beef is actually not bad. It is beefy enough, but it is the tenderness of the beef that is really enjoyable. If you don't tell me that it is artificially injected beef, I could have easily mistaken it for grain fed New Zealand or Australian Beef. Given that I have been to some Japanese Restaurant Chains that serve simply atrocious "Chewing Gum" type beef, I'd go for Hokubee any day (except for days when I get to eat USDA Prime). So when Hokubee is used to prepare any beef dish like this Hokubee Teppanyaki, you do get nice and tender beef without having to pay a bomb for it. 4.25/5


Hiyashi Sumi Udon $9.80

I am sure you all have taken Charcoal Pills for diarrhoea before right? So eating charcoal is not a problem. But what do you think about Fine Charcoal Udon? This is the first time I have come across this particular flavour of Udon, which is served cold. Tastewise, I really cannot say it is really that distinctive. But hey, its a wonderful way to prevent yourself from getting diarrhoea just in case the Sashimi is bad. Just joking lah, the Sashimi here is pretty fresh. I rate it 3/5, but then I am not a cold noodle person. Those that enjoy cold noodles might be in a better position to give it a fair rating.

Conclusion

Another restaurant to add to the list of possible restaurants from family dinners. This restaurant is located in the area of Sunset way which is being touted as the new "Holland V". The restaurant itself is tiny, but there is a large Al Fresco dining area. Good place for a casual Shabu Shabu and to get your usual Japanese fix.

Megumi Japanese Restaurant
Block 106 Clementi Street 12
#01-38
67791411
11.30am to 2.30pm
6.00pm to 10.30pm
Opens Daily

Disclosure:
This review was done by invitation from Megumi and arranged by SCS Butter

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Hong Mei Western Food: Hainanese Biscuit Crumb Pork Chops!

With iwatch_ueat and liverpool


I have decided to create a special label for our very unique style of "Hawker" Western Food which I think should be considered a very special style of hawker food rather than simply "Western" food. You know what I mean? "Hawker" Western Food has Hainanese roots and is typically served with Baked Beans and Chips. In addition, the meats are marinated with a mix of local as well as western sauces.

There are many Western Food Stalls around and sometimes it is hard to differentiate between them. But I have found this little stall in the HDB heartland that serves up quality stuff that is cheap and they have a few special points that really makes them special.

Firstly, the batter here is your traditional Hainaese style batter which is made from biscuit rather then bread crumbs. This results in a very light, yet crispy batter which has just that extra crunch to it. The fish and chips here at $4.50 is probably one of the cheapest around, and you don't get the usual Cream Dory which can sometimes taste a little muddy. The owner Jeffrey tells us that there are 3 categories of Dory: Cream, Pacific and White Dory of which he uses the best one which is White Dory. Now I can't get any info about White Dory, so if any readers out there know anything, please share with us.

Anyway the Fish is perfectly fried. The batter is super crisp and light and the fish is juicy. The only complain I have is that it is served with mayonnaise rather than tartare sauce. But at $4.50 for White Dory Fish and Chips, I won't complain too much. 4.25/5



The second thing that differentiates this stall apart is their 40 year old BBQ sauce which is made from 13 ingredients. This sauce has been passed down from his father-in-law who started selling Western Food in Geylang Bahru. The little "bits" that you see in the sauce is fried garlic and onions, then there is Leas and Perrin, HP sauce, Bay leaves and Maggi Seasoning. The rest of the ingredients are kept secret. I must say that I really enjoyed this very unique sauce. Its sweet and a little bit tangy and it has that Asian taste about it. Quite unlike any BBQ sauce that I have tasted.


Pork Chops $4.50

If you enjoy Hainanese Style Pork Chops then you should really pay this little stall a visit. For $4.50, you gett 2 slices or "proper" Pork Chops with the bones still attached. A lot of places give Pork Loin that do not have the bit of bone with which all the nice tender and juicy flesh is attached. The same biscuit batter is used and it is served with the BBQ sauce. This is the cheapest Hainanese Pork Chops in Town and its pretty darn good too! 4.25/5

Conclusion

Good and cheap Hainanese style western food. It is not easy to find this type of biscuit crumb batter anymore, so this is a real gem of a find!

Hong Mei Western Delight
Blk 515 Bedok North Ave 2
#01-181
Jeffrey 90275437
1.30pm to 11pm daily

Recommended by Steven Wong

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Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles: Damien's Favourite Beef Noodles!

With smart, liverpool, bashfulhunter, iwatch_ueat, damien and PowerAunty

Beef Kway Teow Dry $4

According to Damien, this stall sells the BEST beef kway teow in Singapore. Better than all the rest. So we had to make our pilgrimage down to Toa Payoh to try it. The stall is supposed to be opened till 7pm, so we thought that 2.30pm should be quite a safe time to visit. Lo and Behold, there was a queue of some 20 something people lining up for the Beef Kway Teow! It so happens that the day we went there was exactly the day after Channel 8 featured the stall. So by the time we got to the front of the queue, they were already sold out on the gravy for the dry version!

I wasn't going to give up so easily, so I made a return visit the following week just to try the dry Beef Kway Teow. This time I got what I wanted. Or did I?



I was undoubtedly impressed with the stewed beef tendons which were so soft it explodes in your mouth, coating your buccal cavity with its soft and gooey goodness. The beef slices were tender but the beef balls were outsourced, so they were not that special. The sauce itself was good, but maybe my expectations were too high, it did not have that oomph if you ask me. However, one lady who was a regular at the stall confirmed that the gravy that day tasted a bit watered down. I suspect that it could be due to the higher volume sold during the past week. But for now it rates a 4.25/5. Damien and other regulars of this stall might beg to differ.



The beef soup on the other hand was wonderfully robust and sweet and definitely one of the best I have tasted. 4.5/5

This Hainanese man has been selling Hainanese Style Beef Kway Teow for over 40 years. He is still remembered as the Beef Kway Teow stall from Cuppage Centre. When I asked where he learned his recipe from, he simply said that he derived it through experimentation.

Conclusion

Another Beef Kway Teow to add onto the Top Beef Kway Teow list! Definitely one of the better ones around which I am sure many fans will write in to support.

Hai Nan Xing Zhou Beef Noodles
Blk 22 Lor 7 Toa Payoh #01-06
8am to 7pm
Monday Closed

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